Lamp shade



June 7, 1955 12.1. TARGOSH 2,710,339

LAMP SHADE Filed May 8, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ted J. Targas/r mmvrox.

BY gym 4MF% June 7, 1955 -r. J. TARGOSH 5 3 LAMP SHADE Filed May a, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 k d J. 7brgas/1 INVENTOR. BXY

LAMP SHADE Ted It. Targosh, Detroit, Mich.

Application May 8, 1951, Serial No. 225,159

2 Claims. (Cl. 24ti1ti8) The present invention relates to structural refinements in lamp shades, and more particularly pertains to a novel construction that affords adjustment in the shade position.

The primary object of the present invention is to afford control over the lighting effect produced by a lamp, and

to accomplish this purpose in such a manner that the attractive appearance of the lighting fixture will be preserved.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable lamp shade capable of realizing the foregoing object which will be easily adjusted without necessitating the removal of the attachment from the lamp stand proper, and in which the shade may be removed readily from the adjusting mechanism so as to permit the shade to be cleaned or replaced with a minimum of inconvenience.

A meritorious feature of the present invention resides in the provision of means whereby the lamp attachment may be readily secured to many forms of conventional lamp stands without necessitating modification of the latter.

Another important feature of the present invention resides in the traveling nut and its simple mechanical connection to the shade supporting ribs, together with the actuating rod for the traveling nut that is so disposed that the rod may be adjusted from a position at the top of the attachment, the overall arrangement being such that the aforementioned structure is concealed from view by the shade itself.

The final important feature to be specifically enumerated herein resides in the provision of pocket forming loops on the shade which wiil receive the shade supporting ribs, together with the elastic means for securing the central portion of the shade to the adjusting means, whereby the shade may be readily removed from the ribs and the adjusting means.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features of the invention, which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are realized by the invention, one embodiment of which has been illustrated, by Way of example only, in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view of the adjustable shade attachment, showing the same secured to a lamp stand that is only partially shown;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Figure 1, portions of the same being broken away to illustrate hidden details of the construction thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional detail view, this view being taken upon the plane of the section line 3-3 shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is another enlarged detail sectional view, this view being taken upon the plane of the section line 4-4 also shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional detail view taken upon the plane of the section line 5-5 in Figure 1.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, and wherein the principles of this invention are shown applied in the preferred form. Indicated generally at is the upper portion of the conventional lamp stand, which lamp stand carries the usual lamp socket 12 for threadably receiving the base of a conventional electric light bulb (not shown), as will be readily understood.

A support comprising a plurality of upstanding rods or members 14 is secured to the socket 12 by means of a suitable clamp 16. The clamp 16 may simply comprise a conventional split or C-type clamp, or if desired, the same may consist of a ring 18 provided with a set screw 20 as shown. It will be evident that various forms of clamping means 16 may be utilized, the sole requirement of the same being that such means may be readily secured to a lamp stand or the socket carried thereby so as to furnish adequate support for the rods or members 14.

A cap construction 22 is carried by the rods 14, such cap construction 22 including a circular plate 24 that is provided with suitable apertures for receiving the threaded upper ends of the rods 14 therethrough, the cap construction 22 being supported in adjusted vertical relation on the rods 14 by means of lock nuts 26 on the rods 14 engaging the upper and lower surfaces of the plate 24, as clearly shown in Figure l.

The periphery of the circular plate 2-!- is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced recesses 28 in which are pivotally received the inner ends of a plurality of radially extending ribs 30. The ribs 30 are pivotally secured to the plate 24 by means of a wire 32 that extends around the entire periphery of the circular plate 24, and which is seated in an annular groove in the periphery of the circular plate 24 so as to pass through suitable apertures in the inner ends of the ribs 30. It will be noted in Figure 2 that the free ends of the wire 32 are twisted together as at 34, and that the arrangement is such that the ribs 30 are confined to vertical swinging movement.

The circular plate 24 is provided with a central opening 36 in which is journaled the enlarged upper end 38 of a threaded rod 40. The rod 40 is restrained against upward movement by means of an annular flange 42 that bears against the undersurface of the plate 24, while the rod 40 is restrained against downward movement by means of a knob 44 secured to the upper end of the rod 40 by means of a transverse pin 46. It will be appreciated that the arrangement is such that the rod 40 may be rotatably turned by the use of the knob 44.

A traveling nut 43 is threaded on the rod 40, and such traveling nut 48 is provided about its periphery with a plurality of circumferentially spaced recesses 50 that are similar to the recesses 28 provided in the circular plate 24, such recesses 54) being for the purpose of pivotally receiving the inner ends of a plurality of radially extending arms 52. A wire 54 extends about the circumference of the nut 48, and is seated in a suitable annular groove therein so as to pass through suitable apertures adjacent the inner ends of the arms 52 so as to pivotally secure the latter to the nut 48 for vertical swinging movement. Like the wire 32 the wire 54 has its free ends twisted together as at 56 to afford a convenient means for securing or detaching the arms 52 from the nut 48, as will be evident. The ribs 39, like conventional umbrella ribs, are of inverted U-shaped cross section, as clearly shown in the drawings, and pivotally receive therein the outer ends of the arms 52, such arms 52 being pivotally secured to the ribs 30 by means of pivot pins 58. It will be appreciated that by virtue of the pivotal connections of the ribs 36 and the arms 52, that is, such elements being restricted to vertical swinging movement, the traveling nut 48 is denied rotation about its central vertical axis, so that when the rod 46 is turned by manipulation of the knob 4-4, the traveling nut 48 will rise or descend depending upon the direction of rotation of the rod 4 whereby the ribs 3% will be simultaneously ex panded or retracted in a manner analogous to the operation of an umbrella.

Of course, additional means may be provided if de sired to resist rotational movement or the traveling nut 48. Although such provision has been unnecessary, it will be appreciated that this may be readily accomplished merely by enlarging the traveling nut radially and pro viding guide apertuers therethrough for receiving the rods 14 therethrough.

A collapsible frusto-conical shade 60 is provided, which preferably is in the form of a sheet of material such as plastic or paper that is provided with alternate radial folds to produce an accordion-like appearance so that the same may be readily expanded or contracted. However, it is to be clearly understood that the shade 6% may be of fabric or any other material having flexible characteristics. in the preferred form of the invention the shade 60 is provided with a plurality of securing strips 62 (see Figures 1 and 5), such securing strips 62 being secured to the underface of the shade 60 and provided with a loop 64 which defines a pocket for receiving a rib 30 adjacent the outer end of the latter. It will thus be seen that when the outer ends of the ribs 30 are passed through the loops 64, the outer periphery of the shade 60 is constrained to movement with the outer ends of the ribs 30 during adjustment of the latter.

As in conventional shades, the shade 60 is provided with a central opening 66 which receives therethrough an upstanding annular flange 68 carried by the circular plate 24. 70' is laced through suitable apertures in the shade 66 around the opening 66, so that the tension of the elastic band 76 tends to draw the shade 6 in such a manner as to reduce the size of the opening 66. It will thus be seen that the portions of the shade 6i) adjacent the opening 66 are drawn tight about the ribs 3t and urged toward the flange 68 on the circular plate 24. It will also be appreciated that when it is desired to remove the shade 60 from the ribs 3i), the latter may be adjusted into a retracted position adjacent the rod 40, and the elastic band 7% expanded so that the shade 60 may be shifted downwardly to free the ribs 30 from the loops 64, after which the shade 6%) may be simply raised upwardly from the rest of the structure.

In order to avoid undue accumulation of heat under the shade 6% during the operation of the electric bulb,

the circular plate 24 is provided with a plurality of openings '72 therethrougb, which openings 72 permit ventilation of the space below the shade 60 by the convection currents of air that would pass upwardly through the openings 72.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all, suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

As best shown in Figure 2, an elastic band Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A lighting fixture and an adjustable shade therefor comprising a lamp and a lamp stand therefor, 21 support comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced, vertically rising brace rods forming a cage carried by the lamp stand and projecting above the lamp, a cap construction supported by the support above the lamp, a plurality of radially extending ribs pivotally secured at their inner ends to the cap construction for vertical swinging movement, vertically extending adjustment rod rotatably journaled through the cap construction and secured against axial movement relative thereto, said rod depending from the cap construction axially between said brace rods and being externally threaded, a traveling nut threaded on the rod and being confined against lateral movement within the cage formed by said brace rods, a plurality of radially extending arms having their inner ends pivotally connected to the nut for vertical swinging movement and also having their outer ends pivotally secured to said ribs, and a collapsible shade carried by the ribs, said shade being adjusted by means of a portion of the adjustment rod extending through the cap construction.

2. A lighting fixture and an adjustable shade therefor comprising a lamp and a lamp stand therefor, a support comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced, vertically rising brace rods forming a cage carried by the lamp stand and projecting above the lamp, a cap construction supported by the support above the lamp, a plurality of radially extending ribs pivotally secured at their inner ends to the cap construction for vertical swinging movement, a vertically extending adjustment rod rotatably journaled through the cap construction and secured against axial movement relative thereto, said rod depending from the cap construction axially between said brace rods and being externally threaded, a traveling nut threaded on the rod and being confined against lateral movement within the cage formed by said brace rods, a plurality of radially extending arms having their inner ends pivotally connected to the nut for vertical swinging movement and also having their outer ends pivotally secured to said ribs, a collapsible shade resting on and surrounding the ribs, resilient means normally retaining the shade collapsed against the ribs adjacent their inner ends, said shade including pockets receiving the ribs adjacent the outer ends of the latter, said shade being adjusted by means of a portion of the adjustment rod extending through the cap construction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

